ITT, Nortel Government Solutions Partner To Provide Wimax For New FAA Air Traffic Control System

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – ITT Corporation (NYSE:ITT) and Nortel Government Solutions*, a U.S. company wholly owned by Nortel* (NYSE/TSX: NT), have entered into a teaming agreement to jointly pursue mobile WiMAX solutions that meet the requirements for a satellite-based air traffic control system the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to deploy beginning in 2009.


In August, ITT was awarded an initial three-year, US$207 million contract by the FAA to develop and deploy an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. The ADS-B system will be a key component of the FAA’s NextGen program to address the growing needs of air transportation while increasing safety and efficiency.

Work with Nortel Government Solutions on WiMAX will be conducted by ITT’s Aerospace/Communications Division located in Fort Wayne, Ind.

WiMAX is a technology designed to provide wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, particularly in the last mile of service to the end customer where cost of hard lines can be both cost prohibitive or not feasible.

The two companies will provide joint mobile WiMAX solutions based on the IEEE 802.16-2005 standard. The end products will feature secure and flexible radio frequency functionality from ITT Aerospace/Communications Division, WiMAX infrastructure from Nortel, and integration and deployment services from Nortel Government Solutions.

“We are confident that this strong partnership will produce a highly flexible and adaptable capability to meet the needs of the FAA and fulfill a wide range of government communications needs to more effectively reach the end user,” said Lou Dollive, president and general manager, ITT Aerospace/Communications Division.

“Working with ITT will enable us to extend the benefits of Nortel’s leading-edge WiMAX expertise to the FAA and, ultimately, to other areas of the U.S. Federal Government,” said Chuck Saffell, chief executive officer, Nortel Government Solutions.